Device for catching oil from crank-pin journals of connecting-rods



(.No Model.) I

LA TOUUHE.

' DEVICE FOR UATOHING OIL FROM CRANK PIN JOURNALS 0F UQNNEGTING RODS.

No. 504,391. Pateitfi ept.5,1893.

I' I I]. /r/0 V J 55 w x .lllllll lnllllllL WITNESSES mm UNITE STATES-EvPATENT Fries.

RENO M. LA TOUCHE, OF MOSCOW, PENNSYLVANIA.

DEVICE FOR CATCHING OIL FROM CRANK-PIN JOURNALS OF CONNECTING-RODS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters I atent No. 504,391, datedSeptember 5, 1893.

Application filed March 22, 1892.

T0 aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, RENO M. LA TOUCHE, of Moscow, in the county ofLackawanna and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Devices for Catching Oil from Crank-Pin Journalsof Connecting-Rods; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull,clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and to theletters of reference marked thereon.

This invention has for its object to provide a means for preventing thedripping or flying of oil under the influence of centrifugal force, fromthe crank pin journals of connecting rods, and with this end in view,the invention consists in certain novel details of construction andcombinations and arrangements of parts to be now described and pointedout particularly in the appended claims.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of the crank pin end of aconnecting rod with the receptacle or oil catching device in section.Figs. 2 and 3 are similar views with the oil receptacle in elevationshowing different ways of supporting the bottom of the receptacle. Fig.1 is a transverse section on the line acm, Fig. 1.

Like letters of reference in the several figures indicate the sameparts.

The letter A indicates the end of the connecting rod which may be of anyordinary or preferred construction, that shown, being provided with thetwo half boxes at a forming the bearing for the crank pin and the usualstrap B surrounding the end of the rod for clamping the half bearings.The strap is held in place by the usual taper pin or key 0 secured byany approved means.

In carrying the invention into practice it has been my aim to surroundthe end of the connecting rod with a receptacle in such manner as thatall oil working out of the crankpin bearing and dripping or flying offunder the influence of centrifugal force in any direction,-up, down orforward, shall be caught no matter what the speed of the engine, andthat without employing a cumbersome device calculated to spoil the looksof the machinery or require more room for operationthan is usually giventhe crank and rod themselves.

Serial No. 425,896- (No model.)

To accomplish this, and provide a device equally applicable to high andlow speed engines, I provide a receptacle D conforming to the shape ofthe end of the connecting rod, but slightly larger, and extending ashort distance in rear of the crank pin journal. In the preferred form,this receptacle is formed of sheet metal and incloses the top, end andbottom of the connecting rod, with its side Walls cl extendinga shortdistance beyond the plane of the sides of the said rod to catch the oilflying therefrom. The receptacle fits close to the end of the rodpreserving its symmetrical appearance and it is obvious that it may besecured in place by many simple mechanical devices. In the preferredform, however, the oil cup F passing through itat the top holds it atthis point, a coil spring f or washers or equivalent being interposed'to hold it the proper distance from the rod. At the bottom, Fig. 1, astrap or arm Gr extends out from the bottom of the receptacle and isclamped between the lock nuts g, g, on the key 9' serving to hold thedevice in proper relative position at the bottom. When the lock nuts arenot employed, the strap G, or straps, if one is desired on each side,may be fastened to the side of the rod by set screws h Fig. 3, whichscrews also serve to lock the pin in place. ments, the strap may bepassed from the top to the bottom of the receptacle as shown in Fig. 2where it passes across the end of the crank pin and may be held by a setscrew 10 as shown in dotted lines. The space between the rod andreceptacle is preferably filled or packed with an absorbent material forthe oil which catches and. holds the oil, and if there be any surplus,conducts it to the bottom of the receptacle where it is retained and maybe withdrawn at pleasure.

Some advantage is gained in supporting the receptacle by means of aspring, as bonding of it is thereby prevented, as is also breakage dueto the bending incident to vibration, the latter being further guardedagainst by inserting washers O of elastic substance between the strapand nuts or screws holding the same in place.

The device is cheap, simple, easily applied to any engine now in use andwhile it is efficient in catching and retaining the oil thrown In lieuof both these arrangefrom the crank, still it does not materiallyincrease the size of the end of the rod nor detract from the usual trimmechanical appearance of the parts.

Vhile I have shown and described the device as applied to one end of aconnecting rod of particular construction, it is obvious that it may beapplied to either end and made to fit any construction of end withoutdeparting from the invention in the least.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is-- l. Thecombination with the connecting rod having the crank bearing in its end,of the oil receptacle lying in proximity thereto around

